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The differences between public relations representatives and public relations specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a public relations representative and a public relations specialist. Additionally, a public relations representative has an average salary of $57,476, which is higher than the $48,124 average annual salary of a public relations specialist.
The top three skills for a public relations representative include press releases, facebook and event planning. The most important skills for a public relations specialist are press releases, web content, and project management.
| Public Relations Representative | Public Relations Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $57,476 | $48,124 |
| Hourly rate | $27.63 | $23.14 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 23,506 | 29,698 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Public Relations Representatives will generally earn around $43K per year and will need oratorial, writing, interpersonal, presentation, prioritization, and IT skills, as well as a healthy dose of creativity and initiative. Those who choose this career path will need a bachelor's degree in public relations, journalism, communications, English, or business for their respective portfolios. They are also involved in the planning and execution of activities centered around PR and both internal and external communication in representing a brand or client.
A public relations specialist is an individual who creates and maintains a favorable public image of an organization by crafting media releases and developing social media programs. Public relations specialists must help their clients communicate effectively with the public as well as evaluate the public opinion of their clients through social media. They need to draft their press releases and contact people in the media who might want to broadcast their materials. Public relations specialists are also required to draft speeches and arrange interviews for the top executives of their organization.
Public relations representatives and public relations specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Public Relations Representative | Public Relations Specialist | |
| Average salary | $57,476 | $48,124 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $89,000 | Between $33,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | McLean, VA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | Washington |
| Best paying company | Brex | Meta |
| Best paying industry | - | Finance |
There are a few differences between a public relations representative and a public relations specialist in terms of educational background:
| Public Relations Representative | Public Relations Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Most common major | Communication | Communication |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between public relations representatives' and public relations specialists' demographics:
| Public Relations Representative | Public Relations Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 35.7% Female, 64.3% | Male, 30.3% Female, 69.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 11.9% Asian, 5.3% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 5.3% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |